High grass lawn mower



i I, l\ I @553. A W/ 1944- t J. A. RONNI NG 7 Re. 22,467

HIGH GRASS LAWN MOWER Original Filed Aug. 4, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet l \p i W h Egg April 4, 1944. J. A. RONNING HIGH GRASS LAWN MOWER Original. Filed Aug. 4; 19:59

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Jacob A. Beanbag J. A. RONNING HIGH GRASS LAWN MOWER April 4, 1944.

Original Filed Aug. 4, 1939 4, Sheets-Sheet 5 7 Jacob 43;); fiif April 4, 1944.

J. A. RONNING HIGH GRASS LAWN MOWER Original Filed Aug. 4, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Reissued Apr. 4, 1944 HIGH GRASS LAWN MOWER Jacob A. Running, Minneapolis, Minn.

Original No.

2,251,637, dated Au ust 5,1941, Serial No. 288,358, August 4, 1939. Application for reissue July 28, 1942, Serial No. 452,666 7 I I Claims.

Primarily my invention provides an extremely simple and highly efficient mower of a type adapted, for example, for cutting grass that is too long to be cut by the conventional manually pushed and operated lawnmower. is found in various places, such as large lawns, golf links and certain fields where the use of large and heavy mowers is not feasible.

The invention also includes certain attachments for converting the same into various other and different uses.

The improved machine is adapted to be manually pushed forward, but is provided with a motor, preferably a small internal combustion engine, and with connections for operating the grass cutting mechanism. The grass cutting mechanism includes a reciprocating sickle and as an important feature includes a novel means for directly reciprocating the sickle from the crank of an engine driven transmission shaft.

The frame structure is made light but strong, preferably by the use of steel tubing, and this frame is intermediately mounted on wheels, with the frame, engine and cutting mechanism nearly counter-balanced on these wheels, so that the cutting mechanism may be easily guided to its work.

As an additional feature, the engine is mounted for lateral adjustments so as to shift the center of gravity and better adapted the machine for cutting on side hills and to eliminate or reduce the tendency of the machine to tip over sideways when operated on a side hill.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views: 7

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing the machine designated as a mower or high grass cutter, some parts being removed to better show the frame and various other parts;

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing in detail a detachable frame extension which carries part of. the sickle driving connections;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the machine with some parts removed and some parts in section;

Long grass Fig. 5 is a perspective showing the engine base;

Fig. 6 is a perspective showing a saddle for the engine base;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary plan showing one side of the machine with various parts broken away and some parts in section;

Fig". 8 is a fragmentary detail chiefly in'plan but with some parts sectioned showing the rear left-hand corner of the machine frame;

Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 10 is an enlarged section of the sickle driving connections shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 1a is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but showing the deck and frame housing applied to the machine and also showing a window attach merit to the-machine; v v

Fig. 2a is a section taken on the line 2a-2 a. of

Fig. 1a; v

Fig. 11 is a perspective showing in detail the sickle bar crank head. g y l Attention is'first called to Figs. 1 to 10 inclu-I sive, and also to Figs. 1a and 2a. The frame of the machine is mounted on wheels 20 which are preferably light strong structures-such as used on bicycles and the like and hence are preferably provided with pneumatic tires.

The machine frame involves trussed bifurcated side members made up chiefly of spaced longitudinally extended bars 2| and 22 preferably in the form of steel'tubes. These tubes 2| and 22 are spaced one on each side of the cooperating wheels 20 and are provided with bearing sleeves 23, to which the hubs of the wheels 20 are journaled. At-their front ends, the bars 2| and-22 are connected to a conical coupling 24, which is best shown in Figs. 7 and 10, that terminates in a sleeve 25, within which is a bushing 26', and surrounding which is the sleeve-like portion 26 of a bracket, presently to be further considered.

At their rear portions, the frame bars 122 are provided with upwardly inclined and rearwardly extended handle bars zlwhich terminate in hand grips 21a. These handle bars 21 are connected by transverse tie bar 28. The frame bars 2| and 22 at their rear ends are tied together and the bars on the opposite sides of the machine are also cross-connected by across bar 29, preferably in the form of a steel tube. The handle bars 21 are tied to the rear ends'of bars 2| and 22'by short diverging bars or pipe sections 3!). Slightly forward of the cross tie bar-29 the frame bars 22 are tied together by a cross bar or pipe section 290.. The connections'between the various pipe sections are frame bars, above described, and are made by metallic couplings or unions of well known construction generally indicated by the character 3%.

The tubular outside bars 2| are made straight and this is especially important in respect to the right-hand tubular bar 2| because. that bar is used as housing and bearing for a transmission shaft 3|. This shaft is directly journaled in bearing bushings 32 and 26' mounted respectively in the rear end of tubular bar 2| and in sleeve 25 at the end of the coupling 24. This shaft 3| is utilized as an oil conductor and, hence, is made tubular. At its front end it projects and is formed with ribs "ll-that fit'gcorresponding internal grooves in a crank disc =35. On the threaded extreme front end of shaft 3| is a cap nut 36 that closes the passage in said shaft and clamps the crank disc shaft against axial displacement.

Crank disc 35 is provided with a wrist pin 31 that is equipped with a roller 38. An oil duct 39 leads from the interior of the tubular shaft 3|;

its center of gravity andfor locking it in different adjustments may be varied, but as shown, the

, flanges of the saddle 6| are provided with curved slots 64 in which pins or projections 65, on the engine base 62, work to prevent rising of the engine from the saddle. To look the engine at its different adjustments, the base 62 is shown as provided with a lug '68 through which vertically works obliquely through the crank disc 35 and delivers L oil to the wrist pin 31 and roller 38.

The grass' cutting mechanism includes as its main elements a finger bar ,and reciprocating sickle bar much of the type "used in mowers but of lighter weight than generally employed. The finger bar '40 is provided with projecting fingers or teeth 41, and the -blade-ecniipped sickle bar 42 is mounted to reciprocate on said finger bar with its blade working through passages in the fingers 4|. To support the finger bar from the frame, "it is provided at its ends with rigidly secured brackets '43 that are provided with collars 28 mounted on the sleeves 25 of the couplings '24. The roller 38 of the Wrist pin 3'1 works in a vertical slot of "a thrust head lithe base 'of which is in the form of a bar 46 that is riveted or otherwise rigidly secured 'to t'he sickle 'bar 42. The face of this thrust head 45 is slightly inclined in respect to the ground so "that it is parallel to the face of the crank disc 35. This 'dlrec't' d'rlve between the crank shaft and the sickle bar is considered a highly important and novel feature which will be further discussed in the description of the operation. I

The linger her at one end, under the thrust head 45, is shown as provided with a ground engaging shoe W Also, as shown, at theopposite end "of the sickle bar-is a shoe 0.. The finger bar is preferably further supported ata slig-h't distance above the ground by "means of a groundengaging roller 48 iiioumaled to bearing brackets l secured onthe finger bar. The numeral .510 indicates 'a shield secured to the finger bar and which overlies the roller 48. r I The tubular transmission shaft 31 at its rear end is provided with a grease or mi receiuing cons pling 51 preferably of the "well knownnlemite type sothat :g-rease may he forced into said tubular shaft. shaft is provided with small discharge passages 52 and '53 that :deliver respectivelytot-hebearingbushing!:anrllzt.

Secured on the rear portion of shaft 3!, is a transmission element shown :as in the form .of a

grooved pulley 54., which is driven, as will presently appear, through a belt 5 5. The driving belt 55 is driven from a drive policy 56 on the crank shaft 51 01 a motor preferably in the form of an internal combustion engine, the frame .-of which is indicated as an entirety lay the numetal 58. I

The engine is mounted to oscillate on the axis of its crankshaft 51,, and .is,.-mounted one concave saddle indicated quite generally in the .drawings and shown .in detail in Fig. 6;wherein the saddle is indicated as an entirety by the numeral .59. Thislsaddle, .in the-structure illustrated, has tubular-portions 610 through which the cross tie bars a lock pin 61 that is engageable with any one of several perforated lock lugs 68 on the side of the saddle.

It will be noted that the center of gravity of the engine and the parts supported thereby are offset to the left in respect to Fig. 4 from the axis of the engine crank shaft. Of course, the m'eansfor supplying the engine with gasoline orother may be varied. However, as shown in Fig. 4, .the numeral 69 indicates a gasoline tank that delivers gasoline to the engine through the conventional or any other suitable carburetor 1 0..

In the commercial machine, the wheels and the side frame members 2| and 22 are preferably covered by light sheet metal shields "H that aresuitably secured to the side frame members. In the machine designed for the cutting of grass, a space between the side frames, wheels andshields, is open so that the cut grass will fall at the rear of the sickle bar.

By reference to Figs. 1 .and 2,, it-will he noted that the front ends of the couplings 24, under their sleeves 25, are provided with projecting flanges 24a through which work set screws 2411 which, when tightened, clamp the collars 44 on to the respective sleeves 2.5. When the set screws 24b are unscrewed, and the cap nut 35 (see particularly Fig. 10) is removed, the entire cutting mechanism including the finger bar, sickle and crank disc 35 can be moved forwardly and, therefore, entirely disconnected from the fram mechanism.

Figs. 1a and 2a show curved deflecting deckforming bars for application to the machine designed as .a mower. These curved bars 12 are shown as attached to the back of the finger bar by means of coupling brackets I3. One .of the said bars 12 is shown as directly bolted 'to .the shoe 41a. The purpose of these curveddeckforming bars is to cause cut grass such as alfalfa to be delivered at one side of the machine in the form of a windrow.

In Figs. 7 and 8 there is shown an en starting crank 14 which is slipped on to the rear end of the shaft 3| and has a ratchet-like engagement at 15 with the hub of the pulleyfik When this crank is used to rotate the ,pu'lley'lfill. the crank shaft of the engine will, of course, 'be rotated and the engine started providing the ignition of the engine is .set for firing. In "Figs. 8 and 9 this crank, while out .of use, isshown as held by a prong spring clamp T6 applied .to one end of the cross bar 29.

Ignoring now the attachment shown in Figs. 1a and 2a and directing attention to the mower illustrated in Figs. 1 to 10 inclusive, it will be noted that the Weight of the engine and the.

axes, is nearly but not quite great enough to lift the front end of the frame and the grass cutter or mower. This makes the machine easy to handle and by a very light pressure on the handle bars to raise thef'cutting mechanism off of the ground when moving the machine from place to place while out of cutting action. Of course, the engine affords all of the power for driving the cutting mechanism, leaving only the machine to be pushed ahead'by the operator.

The arrangement ofthe sickle driving mechanism, particularly that portion that forms the connection between the "driving shaft and the sickle bar, is thought to be novel and highly important for several reasons. In the first place, it eliminates the use of a pitman or connecting rod and brings the driving element close down to the sickle bar. In the second place, it drives the sickle by a direct thrusting action of the wrist pin of the crank disc or thrust head. The friction is reduced to aminimum by'providing the wrist pin with a roller which Works upwardly and downwardly in the groove or slot of the thrust head of the sickle bar. The cutting action is, therefore, produced by direct'thrusting action of the wrist pin of the crank disc on the sickle bar.

By making the driving shaft tubular, it is arranged to keep the bearings therefor and the bearing for the roller on the wrist pin always well lubricated.

when the mower is to be used on a side hill, move transversely of the incline thereof, and it is desirable to shift the center of gravity of the engine toward the high side, this may be readily done with the engine mounted on the saddle as described.

WhatI claim is:

1. In a machine of the kind described, laterally spaced wheels, laterally spaced side frames including inside and outside frame bars that embrace said wheels and to the intermediate portions of which said wheels are journaled, couplings uniting the front end of the corresponding inside and outside frame bars, cutting mechanism connected to and supported from said bar couplings, means connecting the inner and outer frame bars and cross connecting the bars of the two side frames, and an engine mounted on the rear portions of said side frames and having driving connections for operating said cutting mechanism, and handle bars connected to and projecting rearward from said side frames, said inside and outside bars and their respective handle bars being connected by a triangular arrangement of short coupling bars.

2. In a machine of the kind described, laterally spaced wheels, laterally spaced side frames including. inside and outside frame bars that embrace sai'cl wheels, and to the intermediate por tions of which said wheels are journaled, couplings uniting the front ends of the corresponding inside and outside frame bars, a finger bar secured to and supported from said couplings, a sicklebar mounted to reciprocate on said finger bar and provided with a slotted thrust head, means connecting the inner and outer frame bars and cross connecting the bars of the two side frames at the rear of said wheels, an engine mounted on the rear portions of said side frames, and transmission mechanism driven from said engine, in a continuous rotary direction and including a transmission shaft provided with a crank head having a wrist pin working in the slot of the thrust head of said sickle bar.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 in which one of the frame bars is straight and tubular and through which said transmission shaft is extended to said crank head.

' 4. In a machine of the kind described, laterally spaced wheels, laterally spaced side frames to the intermediate portions of which said wheels are journaled, couplings applied to the front ends of said side frames and terminating in sleeves, a finger bar provided with coupling brackets with collars telescoped on to the sleeves of said couplings and rigidly but detachably secured there'- on, a sickle bar mounted to reciprocate on said finger bar and provided with a slotted thrust head, cross connections uniting the rear ends of said side frames at the rear of said wheels, an engine mounted on said cross connections at the rear of said wheels, one of said side frames having a straight tubular member, transmission mechanism driven from said engine and including a continuous direction rotary transmission shaft that is provided at one end with a crank head having a wrist pin working in the slot of the thrust head of said sickle bar. I

5. The structure defined in claim 2 in which said transmission shaft is tubular and adapted to contain grease and is provided with discharge ports for the lubrication of the bearings, shaft and wrist pin. 7

6. The structure defined in claim 2 in which said engine is mounted for adjustments transversely of the machine.

7. The structure defined in claim 2 in which said frame work is provided at the rear ofthe wheels with a concave saddle, and said engine is mounted with a convex base engageable with the convex surface of said saddle and mounted for adjustments transversely of the machine.

8. In a machine of the kind described, laterally spaced wheels, laterally spaced side frames including inside and outside frame bars that embrace said wheels, and to the intermediate por tions of which, said wheels are journaled, couplings uniting the front end of the corresponding inside and outside frame bars, cutting mechanism connected to and supported from said bar couplings, means connecting the inner and outer frame bars and cross connecting the bars of thetwo side frames, and an engine mounted on the rear portions of said side frames and having driving connections for operating said cutting mechanism, and which cutting mechanism includes a finger bar and a reciprocating sickle mounted thereon, said finger bar being directly and rigidly secured to said couplings, one of said frame bars being straight and tubular, and said driving connections including a constant direction transmission shaft extended through and journaled in said tubular frame bar.

9. In a machine of the kind described, laterally spaced wheels, laterally spaced side frames in cluding inside and outside frame bars that embrace said wheels, and to the intermediate portions of which, said wheels; are journaled, couplings uniting the front ends of the corre sponding inside and outside frame bars, cutting mechanism connected to and supported from said bar couplings, means connecting the inner and outer frame bars and cross connecting the bars of the two side frames, and an engine mounted on the rear portions of said side frames and having driving connections for operating said cutting mechanism, and which cutting mechanism in- 1-0. vIn 'a .machine of the hind described, lat- I erally spaced side. frames, each side frame including a pair of tubular bars connected together adjacent their outer endsand spaced apart rearwardly of their connected :outer end portions 'to provide a bifurcated wheel opening in each frame, a wheel located in the wheel opening of each frame member and journaled ithereto a transversely extending frame member connecting the spaced rear ends of the bars of opposite side frame members, cutting mechanism "disposed between the outer ends of the, opposite side frame membersand connected thereto, and an engine mounted on said transversely extending frame member and having a driving connection with the cuttingmechanism. I

11. 'In a machinewof "the kind describedglaterallyspaced side frames, each side :frame including a-pair of tubular bar's connected together adjacent their outer ends and spaced apart rearwardly of their connected outerend portions to provide a'bi'furcated wheel opening in each frame, a wheel located in the wheel opening of each frame member and journaled 'thereto, a transversely extending frame member connecting the spaced rear ends of "the bars of opposi'teflside frame members, cutting mechanism disposed ibetween theouter ends of th'e opposite side frame members and connected thereto; and an engine mounted on said transversely extending frame member and having a driving connection with the cutting mechanism through one of said side frame bars. I

12. The structure defined in claim 'in'whic'h the outside bar of each side frame member is straight and tubular and the inside "bar thereof is bent intermediate its ends so as to provide" a reinforcing frame portion and :a portion laterally spaced therefrom to receive a between. i a

13. The structure defined in claim 10 in which the outside bar of :each'si-de frame member is straight and tubular and the inside bar thereof is bent intermediate its ends so as to provide a reinforcing frame'portion and'a portion laterwheel thereally spaced therefrom to receive :a wheel therebetween, the said driving connection from the engine to the cutting mechanism comprising a drive shaft extending through "the straight tubular barofonesaid-tsidelframe members. g r 14.. In a machine of the kind described, laterally spaced :side frame members, each including a pair of tubular bars connected together adjacent their outer end portions to -provide ;a bifurcated wheel opening .-in.-eacl;1 frame, laterally spaced wheels journalled each to a different one of said laterally spaced side frame members intermediate the ends of said :members, a transverselyvextending frame member connecting the spaced rear ends of the bars oftopposite side frame members cutting mechanism extending between and connecting the projecting frontends of the laterally spaced frame members :iiorwardly of said wheels, said laterallyzspaceduside frame members extending materially rearwardly-of the wheel axis, an engine mountedtbetween the rearwardl-y extended portions of the side frame mem bers on said transversely extending frame nember; materially rearwardly of the wheel axis,,and driving-connections between the engine andrcuttingimechanism, thespace between the side frame members being open and unobstructed from thecutting mechanism to a point materially rearwardiof the wheel axis. a

15. In a machine of the kind described, later ally spaced side frame members, eachinc'luding bars connected together adjacent 'their outer end portions to provide a ibifurcated -wheelopening in each frame, laterallyspaced wheels ,Jonrnalled each .to adifierent one of said laterally spaced, side frame members intermediate (the ends ofsaidmembers, a transversely extending frame meme: ber connecting the spaced rear ends of z-the'bars of opposite-side frame members, cuttingwmechanism extending between and :connectin-g the proecting front .ends of the :laterallyspaced, frame members forwardly of said wheelsQsaidflaterally spaced side framemembers extending materially rearwardlyvof the wheel axis, an {engine mounted between the rearwardly extended portions of the; side frame members on said transversely extending frame member materially rearwardly of the. wheelax'is, one of said side frame members being tubular, and driving'connections between the engine and cutting mechanism which includesadrive shaft extending through said tubular side. frame member, the space between the side frame members being open and .unobstructedfromtthe, cutting mechanism to a poin-tImaIteriall-y, rear ward of the ,whe'ellaxisr v H I JACOB A. RONLNING. 

